Betty Pedersen

Betty Jean Michaelsen Pedersen, 74, passed away at her home in Atlantic on Thursday, January 28, 2010.

Betty, daughter of Helen Rasmussen Michaelsen and Nels Peter Michaelsen, was born on April 15, 1935, in Audubon County. At the age of three, her family moved from a farm near Exira to another farm near Viola Center. There she attended Viola Community School until 1950 when her family moved to Audubon.

After graduation from Audubon High School, Betty was a waitress for the M&M Café. She then moved to Atlantic to become a telephone operator for seven years until 1961 when she married Wayne Pedersen in Anita. Soon after building their new home in Atlantic, Betty became a full-time mom and she and Wayne spent the next several years raising their two children, Steven and Lori. Betty enjoyed taking care of children and for several years ran a babysitting business in her home until her retirement.

Betty is survived by her husband, Wayne, and her daughter, Lori, of Boston, Massachusetts. She was preceded in death by her dear son Steven, her parents, her brother Christian "Mike" Rasmussen, a sister who died in infancy, and her brothers-in-law Laverne Nelson and Lloyd Pedersen.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 4, 2010, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, with visitation from noon to 2:00 p.m., prior to the funeral, also at Hockenberry's. Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery, Atlantic, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to the Shriner's Children's Hospital.

Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.